New research from CABA, the charity that supports the wellbeing of chartered accountants, has revealed that Brits miss at least 26 family occasions or social events every year including weddings and birthdays, date nights and drinks with friends, and even gym classes. The data highlights the growing concern that the esteemed ‘work-life’ balance is near impossible for most of us due to work pressures and employer expectations.
The research also flagged that stress in the workplace was a concern for employees, with 20% taking time off because they felt too pressured. In turn, this can be detrimental to their overall health and wellbeing with over one third (35%) of employees admitting that they regularly consider leaving their job or handing in their notice.
In addition, 34% of respondents revealed they didn’t like work and when asked about their top complaints, not being paid enough was their top gripe (9%) followed closely by the lack of development in their current role (8%).
Kelly Feehan, Services Director for CABA commented:
‘There’s an increased demand on today’s ‘always on’ workplace culture; it’s no longer just a place where employees turn up, do a job and go home. Shockingly, 68% of employees admit to checking their work emails whilst on leave and even when they’re off sick, showing the belief that you need to be connected to the office 24/7. This should not be the case. This expectation needs eradicating if we’re to have happy and productive employees, with great holistic health and wellbeing.’
Unfortunately, this isn’t yet the case in many organisations and the effects of poor wellbeing were stark. Over a quarter (27%) of employees admitted it takes longer for them to complete tasks due to the inability to concentrate. The research also revealed that 18% of Brits cry at least once every fortnight because of their job.
Kelly Feehan concluded:
‘While workplace stress may originate on the job, it eventually extends to every aspect of an employee’s life, affecting everything from their personal relations to their finances and health. Our lives no longer have a clear separation between work and home, which is why businesses need to assess the wellbeing and mental health structures they have in place to continue attracting and attaining the best talent.’
CABA will reveal the findings from their ‘stress barometer’ findings annually in a bid to monitor the mental health and wellbeing of employees throughout the UK.